Not PC

Friday, October 30, 2009

Beer O’Clock: In favour of brand disloyalty

Beer writer Neil Miller argues you should lose your beer label inhibitions . . . a good argument to consider on the eve of tomorrow’s beer tasting (don’t forget, 2:30pm at The Castle in Mt Eden). [Cross-posted at The Malthouse Blog]

It would be possible, if you wanted to and really tried, to travel around the world and eat nothing but McDonalds. Similarly, it would be possible, if you wanted to and really tried, to travel around the world and drink nothing but Heineken. Well, maybe not quite as easy but you could certainly drink look-alike international golden lagers in pretty much every corner of the globe.

We would tend to portray the person who eats only corporate burgers and fries as unsophisticated, a little odd and probably quite large. However, the person who drinks nothing but – say – Heineken is seen as a loyal and informed drinker. I simply cannot express the absurdity of this notion any better than noted beer writer and my third favourite Canadian Stephen Beaumont* who wrote:

“Beer drinkers have been duped by mass marketing into the belief that it makes sense to drink only one brand of beer. In truth, brand loyalty in beer makes no more sense than 'vegetable loyalty' in food. Can you imagine it? ‘No thanks, I'll pass on the mashed potatoes, carrots, bread and roast beef. Me, I'm strictly a broccoli man.’"

The notion of brand loyalty and a generic drinking culture perhaps reached its peak in New Zealand during 1969. In a little known chapter of our brewing history, New Zealand Breweries, in their infinite wisdom, decided that Kiwis did not want choice or local beers. What they really wanted was four slightly different beers all under the one glorious brand and that brand was to be called Lucky.

In August 1960, all their various breweries shut down production of their established products (including Speight’s) and began making their allocation of the Big Four Lucky Beers. The intent would be that Lucky would be produced so efficiently that it would drive down the price of beer and push their rival Dominion Breweries right out of the market.

Predictably (to everyone not working for the New Zealand Breweries marketing team), drinkers around the country immediately went up in arms and the Lucky experiment was ended in October 1960 after just two ignominious months. In terms of bad beer decisions, its short duration means it does not come close to equalling the impact of the disastrous Six O’Clock Swill but it terms of sheer stupidity it was right up there.

The only signs that remain of Lucky are some bottles and cans in the excellent Speight’s brewery tour (though you won’t see any actual brewing on it). Speight’s must have been tempted to (mis)-quote Hon Dr Michael Cullen and put little signs like “we won, you lost, eat that” under the Lucky-branded vessels.

New Zealand drinkers these days rightly demand more choice and variety. Heck, Richard “Spiderman” Emerson alone produces four new beers every 100 days. Sometimes, we drink local, other days we feel like something more continental. We might crave a cutting edge style or perhaps something a bit more traditional.

One of the classic European beers on tap at Malthouse[and at very few other good establishments around the country-Ed.] is Chimay White. This Trappist masterpiece is an extremely rare sight on tap in New Zealand and it is about to get a whole lot rarer. The last Malthouse keg is currently attached. This is the last chance (for a while at least) to try this dry, spicy brew on tap.

Chimay White (8%) is a strong, unpasteurised Tripel which pours a handsome cloudy gold with a pillowed white head. The nose is dry, hoppy and yeasty – unmistakably Belgian. It is full bodied with hints of orange, juniper, spices and hops before a peppery, dry finish.

This is also the last week of Octoberbest – the new Malthouse tradition. The final push sees the welcome return of Epic Armageddon, Yeastie Boys Plan K and Yeastie Boys PKB.

This blog post now comes to an end as it is time for lunch with Mr Luke Nicholas, the Impish Brewer. In unrelated news, stocks of Armageddon IPA are about to plummet at Malthouse so Chimay White might not be the only beer on its last keg…

Friday avo ramble, 30 October

New Zealanders say "Green" is a "damaged brand"- and media saturation has led to "green fatigue." "I'd like not be made to feel guilty for making my life easier," says one. Kiwis suffering 'green fatigue' [hat tip Motella]

Is the obsession with climate change turning out to be the most costly scientific delusion in history? For just six hours UK MPs debated shutting down around 80% of the UK's industrialised economy, then they all queued up to vote for it. The real climate change catastrophe

Two Rand biographies . . . & the smear jobs continue. http://www.nytimes.com/2009... (I have to ask, f they had real criticisms then why would they have to make so much stuff up?)

From the Counter-Productive-Advertising files: So if supermodels take off their clothes when the temperature rises, shouldn’t we hope for more global warming. Threatening us with a future of supermodels getting naked is hardly going to scare anyone into buying a Prius.

Thought for the day, from the Vodka Pundit: “Too late for coffee. Too early for a cocktail. There is nothing worse than exactly 3:43PM.”

While everyone bashes Brian, there’s a worldwide Big-Church Merger going on. Woman-fearing, gay-hating old Anglicans have been told they have a natural home in the bosom of the Catholic Church. The tea-drinking arm of the Anglican church professes to be unworried. A merger in the offing for Big Church?

That’s all your links for today. But don’t forget tomorrow's beer-tasting at The Castle & Galbraith's, starting at The Castle around 2:30. ? For details, and to find out what to bring, email organon AT ihug.co.nz with LIGHT BEER or DARK BEER in title for details.

And finally, since I’ve been enjoying my old Phil Manzanera albums again (Galt, he’s good) here’s Phil playing ‘Leyenda’ while women dance the Paso Doble around him. Lucky man:

Quote of the day: The “one-letter” dismissal of global warming

"People will do anything to save the world ... except take a course in science." - Physicist Howard Hayden, in the email sign-off to his Open Letter to the EPA, a “one-letter” dismissal of warmist alarmism

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Life of Brian: They’re all bashing the Bishop again [update 2]

Bishop Brian says he has a direct line to his God. But so does the Pope.

Brian says that, as a representative of God, his ‘sons’ should avoid taking his name and person in vain. But so does the Ten Commandments.

He says that his followers must “tell others of their love for the Bishop.” But so do plenty of other churches.

He says that as church leader his followers should offer him their riches, wealth and earnings. But so do plenty of other churches, for whom “tithes” are a way of life – and a way of securing cash flow for church elders.

He says that religion should guide politics – but so too do so many of the mainstream religionists who want political power over your soul.

Brian’s not the Messiah, he’s just a very naughty boy (to quote a phrase). He’s not doing anything that hasn’t been done before by other religious leaders, but by all the outrage generated by Brian’s activities – with this loyalty oath just being the latest -- you’d have to wonder why it’s Brian who gets the brickbats and the other churches who generally pick up the bouquets. You’d have to wonder why since they’re the same things said and done by all sorts of mainstream religionists.

Basically, the reason Brian gives all the mainstream religionists conniptions is not that he says any of these things (because how can they really criticise them when they do most of them themselves) but because:

He gives them stiff competition. Make no mistake, this is a religious turf war, and it could get just as angry as any other fight for territory; and

He makes the whole religious thing look like what it is: a scam.

They say he’s not a genuine religious leaders? But since they all agree their gods can talk to them, then by what standard can they disagree when Brian says his does.

They say Brian’s is not a “genuine” religion? But since all religions are based on a fiction by what right can they deny Brian’s particular brand.

They say the followers of Brian are being sucked in and will never get out? But since all religions aim to maintain that vice-like cradle-to-grave hold on their acolytes, how can they honestly point to any difference to themselves?

Frankly, they’re all frauds preying on the weak and vulnerable, none of them substantially different to what the French court found about the scientologists: that they’re an “organised fraud” preying on vulnerable believers? The only serious difference between all the various fairy stories told by all the frauds is the length of time their stories have been told, and the way the vulnerable are hooked into becoming believers.

All churches and all religions tell slightly different stories, but in the end it amounts to the same: Believe in our fairy stories, not theirs; worship our gods in our way, not theirs; and be prepared to sacrifice . . . for the good of the church. For the church’s good, not for yours. For the good of our church, not the one down the next street – our church being the word and the light; whereas down the next street they’re all left-footers and dangerous to boot.

'”Faith “is ineluctably exclusive, rather than inclusive.

Now, you’d think when it comes to settling the few differences between all the different brands of witch-doctory the different advocates would be able to reason it out between them. But when you think about it, you’d realise that’s all but impossible. It’s all but impossible because the belief in those fairy stories is not based on reason, but based on faith (they don’t even have a surefire way to determine whether Brian is or isn’t the Messiah; without reason they’ve no way to judge).

So because it’s all based on faith, there’s no way at all for advocates of different brands of faith to reason out their differences. All they’re left up with is fists and loud voices.

Which explains, when you think about it, not just all the fists and loud voices Bishop Brian gets out on the streets when he takes up his bully pulpit, but also all the violent disagreements and conflicts between advocates of different religious brands that have endured for thousands of years and stained so much of human history-- conflicts over differences that often amount to little more than what to hang on the walls in your place of worship, or the order in which the wine and crackers is handed out– or whether it gets handed around at all.

Differences which can only be resolved by reason, except that reason has been peremptorily excluded. And without reason things can only be resolved in other ways. And when reason and rational persuasion are out the window, all you’re left with is force.

Why is this woman so happy? [updated]

She said she would save New Zealand's children from their parents and guardians, yet still the murders continue at the rate of ten a year. And now she has left the building.

She demonised those opposed to her as beaters, as bashers, as hitters of children – smearing good parents while doing nothing at all to protect children from bad ones. And now she’s out of there.

She all but nationalised your children, and having done all she can do there she’s now delivered her last speech in NZ's parliament.

She joined the party that carried an environmental banner – observing it was “ripe for takeover” – never once even giving lip service to the party’s raison d'être. She used it instead to advance her own back-door agendas, and now she’s off.

“Years spent ‘proletarianising’ herself in the Progressive Youth Movement, the Workers Communist League and the Unemployed Workers Movement” (as Chris Trotter describes) were put to good use infiltrating the mung-bean eaters and effecting the reverse take-over of the Greens by the Alliance. (More links on some of that here.) And now she’s on to other means by which to advance that same agenda – and that dear reader, is why she’s smiling.

Retired from Parliament because she says the Greens are not red enough for her. That’s enough right there to tell you her aims.

She has been unquestionably the most effective Maoist in NZ politics -- from the backbenches of the Green lists, a woman never voted in by an electorate has changed New Zealand family life for the worse. Because it was never just about smacking, you know.

She has retired from NZ central government politics, but her lust to change others’ lives, with or without their consent, is still undiminished. And I’m sorry to spoil your celebrations, but do you know what and where she has her gimlet eye set on now?

I'll give you a clue: You know the bloated bureaucracy that Rodney Hide is building up in Auckland; the "super-council" that will dominate Auckland; the megalith of power that with his recent U-turn will not be restrained to its core business but instead can range far and wide across whatever landscape it chooses, including yours? That can pick whatever pockets it wants, including yours? Yes, that council.

She’s moving her boxes out of one power-base, and wants to move them straight into another.

She’s left the front door of politics, and Rodney Hide is delivering her the vehicle to drive straight in again through the back door. He’s offering up the city on a plate, and Sue’s just the woman to eat it.

How does that work for you? Any ratepayers of Auckland care to comment? Any supporters of the big bureaucracy like to promote it? Any supporters of Rodney Hide like to explain themselves?

UPDATE: Why did Sue want to effect a reverse takeover of the Greens? Same answer to that as it is to the question, “How do you sell a shit sandwich?'”

NOT PJ: Dollars and Sense

This week, Bernard Darnton peers through the looking-glass at claims we can devalue our way to prosperity.

Fashionable worry number 373 is that the New Zealand dollar is worth too much. Over the last six months the rising dollar has made my impending trip to the UK look cheaper and cheaper.

If I sold milk, which thankfully I don’t, I might be even more upset by the exchange rate than by the early starts and hard work.

The flip side of the milk price is that a high dollar is a good thing if you want to buy anything made overseas, which is pretty much everything. Adam Smith pointed out that exports aren’t the be-all-and-end-all of an economy; they’re simply the price we pay to get shiny tat from China.

The simple fact is that you can’t make yourself rich by making your money worth less. If you could, Zimbabwe would be the richest country in the world. Austrian economists would tell you that paper money is worth nothing, but enterprising Zimbabweans have shown that if you change a billion dollars for a hundred ten million dollar bills you can wipe your arse on Mugabe’s smiling visage for less than the cost of standard two-ply.

A valuable currency is often a sign of a strong economy. In our case it’s more that the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have faster printing presses than we do. Calls to halt the rise of our currency are really calls to destroy our economy faster than the rest of the world.

In any case, Alan Bollard and Bill English have admitted that there’s nothing they can do about it. If the Reserve Bank was going to intervene in the currency markets it would be more efficient just to give George Soros all of New Zealand’s money and then take the weekend off.

Our rising dollar is really America’s falling dollar. America’s rolling presses and staggering deficits are pushing their currency off a cliff. Holders of foreign reserves are already looking round for alternatives. One that’s been mentioned is the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights. From what I can make out these are just tarted up thin air. They share all of paper money’s susceptibility to governments’ destructive shenanigans but without the Zimbabwean dollar’s more practical benefits.

If the government actually cared about increasing the size of the economy, rather than the size of its share of the economy, it would stop its continuous dilution of the currency. Even better, it could back the currency with gold. It would be stable, it would retain its value, and that would help the country prosper.

There are plenty of criticisms of the gold standard: it’s susceptible to fluctuations in the supply of gold; there’s nothing like enough gold around to cover the amount of paper money in circulation, so transition would be difficult. Bimetallic systems are even worse. However, they’re better than what we’ve got for one simple reason. Governments haven’t discovered the secret of alchemy. And if they can’t print gold, they can’t bugger it up.

Christopher Columbus, by Carl von Piloty

Piloty depicts Columbus at the very moment of discovery – a brief fragment of time before this he was all but defeated, his calculations checked and rechecked but his prize still tantalisingly out of reach, and his reputation all but shattered. But at this very instant the cry of discovery is heard: the voyage’s goal is reached, and the continent of America is claimed. As historian Scott Powell says,

“The themes of the life of Christopher Columbus are timeless. Among them are independence, vision, courage, dedication, perseverance. All are captured in the excellent painting by German master historical painter Carl von Piloty in his painting simply entitled ‘Christopher Columbus’.”

But obviously qualities like independence, vision, courage, dedication and perseverance can’t just be picked off the canvas like pins from a pin cushion. Read Scott Powell’s post to see how – and how well – Piloty has integrated these into his canvas.

Bad English

“…there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible.” - Honorable Learned Hand, U.S. Appeals Court Judge. “Bill English HAS to go. There are no two ways about it. “The more I think about his comments about tax and trusts the more I am convinced that Bill English is the National Party's largest liability. . . “The Labour Party can complain all they like about TVNZ apparently running advertising for Bill English, but the best advertisement for the Labour Party currently IS Bill English. . . They should encourage him to be in front of the public more often. . .”

“Bill English fails politics largest test. He is a hypocrite. He wants you all to pay your taxes like good little blue smurfs so he can blow your money by borrowing $40 billion more of it to fund his spending plans. Because Bill English knows how to spend your money better than you. Yet he uses systems himself and for his family that he now calls a ‘rort’."

There is no trust in English. “Bill English has absolutely no right to talk about Trusts with any authority ever again.” She got that right. In fact, exclude the words “about Trusts,” and she still got that right.

RodBeater

The RodBeater troll was back again while I was away yesterday, making himself the subject under discussion and giving you some idea of how much of his bilge I have to delete every day. As Kurt said, “Why don't you just leave PC's blog and don't spoil the online dialog amongst commentators here, with your frequent intrusion. Can you leave us alone please? Otherwise, establish your own blog, which is free to set up. Why can't you do that?”

He can. In fact, I’ve done it for him. In the event you wish to read the meanderings of Mr Russell Fletcher of Tauranga, here’s where you can go. The rest of us, fortunately, can remain blithely unaware of the slime.

‘Corner of Chester and Green’ – William Wray

“the first time I saw Wray’s paintings I was haunted by similar moods I experienced in response to Raymond Chandler’s stories. The Corner of Chester and Green conveys the arid, hot, dusty and lonely atmosphere of the streets of Pasadena and surrounding areas of Los Angeles, especially when one is on foot. I find it surprising that these light brilliant colors can convey a kind of bleakness; do you sense that as well?”

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

LIBERTARIANZ SUS: Just your regular long weekend of property crimes and un-policing

Long weekends are great for those of us who get to enjoy them and I’ve always loved Labour Weekend in particular, especially when I was younger, especially because I have a birthday at this time of year. I still love the holiday; still love the birthday, too; only more the celebration these days than the change of number. Goodness knows who I offended in the interim, though, because the gods seemed determined to upset my applecart this year.

Firstly, circumstances conspired to prevent me from attending my own party some 500km away on Sunday afternoon. Pity, because it was destined to be a cracker with seven birthdays from the 19th to the 30th celebrating a combined 400+ years at a lovely place in the country near the Kapiti Coast. I’m told that a terrific time was had by all, so I’ll have to finagle an invitation for next year. (And if any miserable sod has stopped to do the maths, I must point out that the others were loads older than me!)

But that’s not what I’m writing about. On Saturday morning, my parents awoke to find their front lawn destroyed.

They’ve spent the last few months re-landscaping their whole property. “She’s a pretty big job” as my wee Mitre 10 mate from New Zealand’s greatest ever television commercial would sagely say. On Friday, they spent hours cutting and laying the rolls of new grass. My nephews helped, too, their primary school being closed for the day. So it was a hell of a shock the next morning to pull back the living room drapes to admire their handiwork and see anything but. During the night, vandals had hopped over the low fence and torn everything up, throwing it all over the place and stomping on gardens in the process. I happened to ring shortly after they’d discovered the mess.

“Ring the police!” I said, amid a few choice epithets.

“What for?” said Mum. “They never turn up for things like this anymore!”

“Well, I realise that” I replied. “But it’s to register the damage, otherwise they can’t know. And the bastards may well have damaged other properties along the way. ”

To be fair, my mother was put through to a decent chap. During the conversation she learned that her call to the local police station had been automatically rerouted to Palmerston North, the local station being closed until today. He was courteous and sympathetic, but there was little he could do except to record the complaint and advise her to make a statement at her local station after the long weekend.

It’s pertinent that my parents’ home is on a main road – State Highway 1 in fact – and well lit. Traffic is constant right throughout the night, which is likely why the vandals weren’t heard. Worryingly, this blatant crime also gives credence to the suspicions of many residents in smaller locations that nightly police patrols are virtually non-existent, a sentiment with which my sister has recent experience in the same town.

A couple of weeks ago she and her husband were awoken at 1.30am by a crowd of people making a hell of a noise out on the footpath in front of their home on a quiet residential street. As far as she could ascertain, the crowd was trying to uproot the street sign on the corner – as you do in the early hours of a weekday morning. They didn’t want their young children to wake up frightened, or the crowd to get any ideas of further trespass upon their property or those of their neighbours, so rang the same police station to request an urgent call-out. Unfortunately, the man she spoke with wasn’t quite as concerned as the police officer in Palmerston North.

“How many of them are there?” he enquired.

“Well, I can’t say exactly! But there’s quite a few out there and we want them to go – now!”

“What do they look like? Can you describe them?” he persisted.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” she said, “I’m peering out of my window through the trees into the darkness and I don’t want to draw attention to myself. All I can tell you is that they’re wearing hoods, there are a lot of them, they’re making a racket and it’s really scary.”

I certainly wouldn’t have been so polite. I’d have asked him if he would prefer that I put on my dressing gown and slippers and pop out with the phone and let him have a personal chat to get the bloody details! In spite of this occurring no more than one kilometre from the police station, nobody ever showed up or followed up. Finally frustrated in their efforts to fully upend the street sign, the crowd contented themselves with hauling out some shrubs from a neighbouring property before eventually buggering off.

This sort of nuisance property crime occurs all too often – and is ignored all too often. We can date political unconcern back to the 1980s when former Police Minister Ann Hercus said that she was only worried about violent crime, a point previously noted on this blog. I wonder if she ever read Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point that subsequently proved the wisdom of nipping minor crime in the bud. In spite of all the predictable talk prior to every election, no Police Minister has acted differently since.

So now we have Judith Collins, who recently made headlines with her potential get-tough policy with nuisance motorists. I’d like to draw Ms Collins’s attention to the ongoing neglect of authority toward property crime and policing in general. And I’d like to know what she’s going to do about it.

The elephant in the sitting room is, of course, several decades of excessive state welfare where losers are paid to screw losers with no regard for the consequences including ensuing children. But it’s no use expecting any reform in that department. I say that based on a letter I received from Social Development Minister Paula Bennett last week, an excerpt of which I forwarded to welfare activist Lindsay Mitchell who compared it with comments made by Labour’s Steve Maharey when he held the portfolio, to discover that it was virtually identical in sentiment.

With regard to policing priorities, there’s this little gem to finish with.

Getting out of Wellington is a slow form of torture every Friday afternoon, but holiday weekends are the proverbial nightmare. After contending with the build-up at Paremata, there is the obligatory crawl through Paraparaumu and Waikanae as a result of the Kapiti Coast District Council digging in its dark green heels to prevent construction of the western bypass – (see Opinionated Mummy and Liberty Scott for full and frightful details of that) – before grinding to a halt at the Otaki roundabout.

Levin lies a further 15 minutes north. From that point the worst is usually behind you and it’s a decent run, weather/crashes permitting. Foolishly thinking that they might start to make progress, northbound motorists on SH1 last Friday evening faced a further hold-up at Levin’s southern entrance. Adding insult to injury, four police cars – yes, four of them – were stationed with jovial officers checking for current warrants and registration. They were still happily doing this at 7pm and heaven only knows when they finished. I guess Bill English won’t be grizzling about it, though. I bet he scored a nice little earner out of it. But then he probably wasn’t stuck in that traffic jam, either.

These would be the same cops who don’t seem to patrol the town streets at night anymore and who don’t seem to give a damn about property crime at all, let alone its effect upon victims.

Lord knows I struggle with the concept of tax at the best of times, but surely some decent policing is not too much to expect for what we’re forced to continually hand over. There are countless stories like this one and it’s not bloody good enough. The last government couldn’t have given a continental about property crime (the glaring exception being the attack on Helen Clark’s electoral office), so I’d like to know what John Key’s much vaunted “broad church” is going to do about it.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

‘Sacred Scriptures of the Human Race’ [updated]

Too many atheists are content to grant religionists of all brands a monopoly over what they call the 'spiritual.' “We haven't any spiritual goals or qualities,” they say, “All we care for is material things.” And religionists are all too happy to let them believe that, since as long as they’ve got a stranglehold on the things of ‘the spirit’ then they retain the important high ground -- and still have a toe-hold on intellectual respectability. Robert Ingersoll's writing is the perfect antidote to both religionists and materialists, which is is why I’m reposting this piece on Ingersoll from The Rational Capitalist blog, where it first appeared. (And if you’re looking for commentary, analysis, and links upholding reason, individualism, and capitalism, you should add it to your regular reading list.)

Robert G. Ingersoll was part of the Free Thought movement of the 19th century and an outspoken opponent of religion. In 1894, he wrote a brilliant piece titled About the Holy Bible that not only provides a thorough expose of biblical contradiction but more importantly recognizes the fundamental conflict between religion and liberty, or, more specifically, between religion and man's happiness on earth. As the left, in addition to the right, turns towards religion, it is important to understand this conflict. The below excerpts represent a partial reprint of a previous post, but I believe his writing is so outstanding I am posting this part again. I enjoy his writing more for its style than any technical philosophy (he was a famous orator) and his ability to articulate the essence of this conflict in such a passionate and eloquent way:

THERE ARE MANY MILLIONS of people who believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God -- millions who think that this book is staff and guide, counselor and consoler; that it fills the present with peace and the future with hope -- millions who believe that it is the fountain of law, Justice and mercy, and that to its wise and benign teachings the world is indebted for its liberty, wealth and civilization -- millions who imagine that this book is a revelation from the wisdom and love of God to the brain and heart of man -- millions who regard this book as a torch that conquers the darkness of death, and pours its radiance on another world -- a world without a tear. They forget its ignorance and savagery, its hatred of liberty, its religious persecution; they remember heaven, but they forget the dungeon of eternal pain. They forget that it imprisons the brain and corrupts the heart. They forget that it is the enemy of intellectual freedom. Liberty is my religion. Liberty of hand and brain -- of thought and labor, liberty is a word hated by kings -- loathed by popes. It is a word that shatters thrones and altars -- that leaves the crowned without subjects, and the outstretched hand of superstition without alms. Liberty is the blossom and fruit of justice -- the perfume of mercy. Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy.

In a section titled Is Christ Our Example?, Ingersoll writes:

HE NEVER SAID A word in favor of education. He never even hinted at the existence of any science. He never uttered a word in favor of industry, economy or of any effort to better our condition in this world. He was the enemy of the successful, of the wealthy. Dives was sent to hell, not because he was bad, but because he was rich. Lazarus went to heaven, not because he was good, but because he was poor. Christ cared nothing for painting, for sculpture, for music -- nothing for any art. He said nothing about the duties of nation to nation, of king to subject; nothing about the rights of man; nothing about intellectual liberty or the freedom of speech. He said nothing about the sacredness of home; not one word for the fireside; not a word in favor of marriage, in honor of maternity. He never married. He wandered homeless from place to place with a few disciples. None of them seem to have been engaged in any useful business, and they seem to have lived on alms.

All human ties were held in contempt; this world was sacrificed for the next; all human effort was discouraged. God would support and protect. At last, in the dusk of death, Christ, finding that he was mistaken, cried out: "My God My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?" We have found that man must depend on himself. He must clear the land; he must build the home; he must plow and plant; he must invent; he must work with hand and brain; he must overcome the difficulties and obstructions; he must conquer and enslave the forces of nature to the end that they may do the work of the world.

Here is my favorite excerpt:

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS men have been writing the real Bible, and it is being written from day to day, and it will never be finished while man has life. All the facts that we know, all the truly recorded events, all the discoveries and inventions, all the wonderful machines whose wheels and levers seem to think, all the poems, crystals from the brain, flowers from the heart, all the songs of love and joy, of smiles and tears, the great dramas of Imagination's world, the wondrous paintings, miracles of form and color, of light and shade, the marvelous marbles that seem to live and breathe, the secrets told by rock and star, by dust and flower, by rain and snow, by frost and flame, by winding stream and desert sand, by mountain range and billowed sea.

All the wisdom that lengthens and ennobles life, all that avoids or cures disease, or conquers pain -- all just and perfect laws and rules that guide and shape our lives, all thoughts that feed the flames of love the music that transfigures, enraptures and enthralls the victories of heart and brain, the miracles that hands have wrought, the deft and cunning hands of those who worked for wife and child, the histories of noble deeds, of brave and useful men, of faithful loving wives, of quenchless mother-love, of conflicts for the right, of sufferings for the truth, of all the best that all the men and women of the world have said, and thought and done through all the years. These treasures of the heart and brain -- these are the Sacred Scriptures of the human race.

Tip Jar

In America, they tip. In NZ, we shout beer. If you like the service here at Not PC, drop a tip in the tip jar and you can do both.

Recent
Comments

Beer O’Clock: In favour of brand disloyalty
A beautiful post to introduce the tasting. Hope to see you all then.
My recollection of Lucky beers,mainly Lucky Lager is that theywere first produced in 1960. Theywere a flop similar to the Ford Edsel car, and had disappeared offthe market by 1961, about mid year I think. The public did notrespond to the advertising hype andthe beer quality. Although very young at the time my view of thebeer was insipid. It was lowergravity about 4 per cent I think.I am sure Lucky beer was not aroundin 1969.
Alan - you are dead right. It is a typo - it should be 1960.

Pete - can you correct it here?
Alan - thanks for spotting that. It has now been corrected on both blogs. Lucky I'm not a trained historian... oh wait...
Good that the blind beer tasting confirmed what I hope that the result would have shown. I drink lots of VB, even ranked it average, I didn't even detect it as a beer that I regularly drink. The low ranking of Ranfurly draft (from majority of tasters) were due to bad reinforcement comment from tasters who tried it first, therefore it was a sort of a hint to those that were about to try it to reinforce in their minds what they heard from those who already tried it. It is some kind of herding effect. You just followed what blindly by reinforcing what others are doing/telling. But ranfurly draft scored a rank of 7 and 6.5 from 2 participants (Peter K and myself), so, without the negative feedback reinforcement from 2 who tried it first and then yelled out to others who haven't tasted it that Jug C was awful, there would have been more reasonably good rating for Jug C (ranfurly draft).

If the test was done as a proper scientific test, then I would have been right on the mark 100% of what one expects from a statistical blind trial. So, anyone who says that drink A is more classy than drink B, is more ponce than being realistic. What that person has asserted was subjective only. This is why marketers use celebrities to advertise their products, because the tend to have a subjective positive reinforcement influence in their targeted audience when they endorsed such products and this is a psychological fact.

The laws of statistics will definitely defy those ponces from their claims that drink A, B, or C, etc,... are better than D, E and so forth. Subjectivity doesn't equate to reality and that's facts folks.
Thank you very much for this post.

A while back a friend and I had a debate around whether Chimay had 3 flavours. I was adamant it did, he was adamant it didn't. From your link, I have found the 3 strong personalities of Chimay beer, and after conceding that I could not find the appropriate information to back up my claims and therefore was wrong, I have now gone back armed with this information to plead my case to have my perceived sanity reinstated.
Friday avo ramble, 30 October
PC: Holland is closing jails instead of opening them. How? Simple They've ended the War on Drug

"The Dutch justice ministry has announced it will close eight prisons and cut 1,200 jobs in the prison system. A decline in crime has left many cells empty... Deputy justice minister Nebahat Albayrak announced on Tuesday that eight prisons will be closed, resulting in the loss of 1,200 jobs. Natural redundancy and other measures should prevent any forced lay-offs, the minister said. "
What are you smoking Berend? From:

"The Dutch justice ministry has announced it will close eight prisons and cut 1,200 jobs in the prison system. A decline in crime has left many cells empty.

During the 1990s the Netherlands faced a shortage of prison cells, but a decline in crime has since led to overcapacity in the prison system. The country now has capacity for 14,000 prisoners but only 12,000 detainees.

Deputy justice minister Nebahat Albayrak announced on Tuesday that eight prisons will be closed, resulting in the loss of 1,200 jobs. Natural redundancy and other measures should prevent any forced lay-offs, the minister said.

The overcapacity is a result of the declining crime rate, which the ministry's research department expects to continue for some time. "

Perhaps you should brush up on the English?
What's the link with war on drugs?

There's no relation.

They're closing coffee shops actually. So why isn't the link the opposite: less coffee shops is less crime.

This is a story from May 19. It was a proposal. How many prisions do you think will be closed?

And you know why they close prisons? Because they have alternatives. Even for violent crimes. And the population isn't happy about that.

As this was a plan, I'm not even sure it has or will be executed. It's just the usal trial balloon, no follow ups after that.
I believe the Netherlands is closing prisons AND Amsterdam is closing coffee shops, to foreigners I gather (might be wrong). I know Amsterdam is trying to go upmarket for tourists, and besides it is losing the hedonistic weekend market to Prague and Riga.

I know some Dutch based people (we have an office there), Berend has a point - the Netherlands is becoming less tolerant on drugs, admittedly it still is light years away from the war on drugs in the English speaking world.

Portugal recently decriminalised personal drug use, that is where we should be watching.
True, Berend.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081206200321.5mlf28t0&show_article=1
Quote of the day: The “one-letter” dismissal of global warming
While I think that's a great quote, and that Hayden has written a succinct letter to the EPA, that line does not appear in the letter. Rather, as the website you link to points out, it is Hayden's email sign-off.
If you want a clear and concise understanding of what makes a reliable and workable energy grid then read his book "The Solar Fraud".A review of it is here http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/solar_fraud.htm

Also his monthly "The Energy Advocate" newsletter is interesting reading, but it is only available through the post
On the other side of the debate,there is Raymond T. Pierrehumbert's letter to Steve Levitt (one of the authors of Superfreakonomics).It adresses all of Howard Hayden's concerns.
I've noticed that the majority of scientists who support the AGW theory are climatologists and ecologists while the majority of scientists who challenge the theory are physicists. There is a reason for this.

Steve
Monsieur

Debate all you like. Fact is, the AGW theory is false. The facts of reality do not support it. They directly oppose it.

In essence, the AGW movement is merely another collectivist political cult. As with all previous collectivist cults, it is based on deceit and dishonesty. As with all previous collectivist cults, it has failed. Unortunately the costs are yet to be fully borne.

LGM
Yes, LG, and further to that is this:

Whether the planet is warming *or* cooling, the alarmists would still be promoting a collectivist "save the planet" tax & imposition agenda.

Nothing would change -- all of which proves that this is a political issue as opposed to climatic.
Perks busted
Does that mean you are putting your hand up for Epsom?
To be fair to Rodney Hide, if it wasn't for him, all MPs would still be entitled to the travel perk. The sunset clause, whereby only MPs elected before '99 get it, was the best he could do with 120 self-interested MPs at the time.

It's just human nature unfortunately. The travel perks are a glamorous bauble that is actually, compared to what MPs could be creaming off, pretty cheap. If you start clamoring too loudly for them to remove it, the MPs would probably just increase their salaries accordingly, and to greater cost.
Er!!! Leave Rodney Hide alone.

Well done Rodney Hide (I mean for scoring that chick). It seems that young chicks these days, within my target age group are going for older men. That means that there are no chicks available for blokes like me in that age group. Perhaps us blokes can target younger ones in the age bracket [20, 25].
Unfortunatly for you Cactus Kate fisks the Heralds beat up of Rodney and shows he's hardly gourging himself on the taxpayers tit.

http://asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com/

And he is entitled to a private life too.....when he has the time.
@Russell: If the number of people around who tell me they're disgusted with Rodney would all put their time, money and energy behind me, then yes I would.

@Blair: "To be fair to Rodney" my arse. What's the word for someone who says they're against perks, then hoovers them up himself.

@James: Yes, of course he's entitled to a private life. But at his own expense.

If he wants to take his girlfriend with him, then let him pay for it himself. Simple.

Spin it all you like, which is obviously a hell of a long way, but what he's doing is sucking on the taxpayers' tit. From the lambada bars of South America (remember that little rort?) to getting taxpayers to pay for his election material (remember that little rort?) to taking his girlfriend round the world on our tab -- this is a guy who says one thing (sometimes) and always does another.

There's a word for that. See if you can find it in your dictionary.
Sell out Rodney is at it again! Initially this man got into parliament with the fresh view to defend the individual, Joe Blog’s and his money, from being expropriated by glutinous bureaucrats who steal our money and spend it on themselves! This is just another example of many where Rodney sells out on his principles rationalizing his behaviour by employing the very rules (for MP's) he initially sought to dispense of!
Ok, so I just left a comment and it vanished. (Delete this should the earlier one appear, PC).

I left a comment with CK so shan't repeat myself, except to say that James and Blair are off the mark today.

BTW, someone should interview the tart and ask her what the hell she thought she was doing with other people's money.

Anyway, looks like ACT acolytes have some dead rats to start swallowing. Gulp 'em down boys. Make sure you swallow, ACT gobblers.

LGM
Typical of the ACT party; all talk talk talk until they get into Government and the delights of Ministerial Office and then... abolish history.

Readers will remember that myself and Peter predicted this when all you sheep made your minds up to vote ACT... so no complaining now *wink*
Elijah

Can't you hear those ACT gobblers swallowing them dead rats whole?

LGM
OK OK OK. I'm SORRY! How many times? ;)

In restitution, tonight I have convinced someone to vote Libz next election. Prior lefty too. It tasted as sweet as the beer I was drinking while I did so.
The newly formed campaign committee is gathering this very morning!!PC for Epsom!!
Yes,LGM, I can...and it serves them right!

I consider the sellout after sellout of ACT since December to be pure evil - forget about that Karavic chappie, what Rodders and Roger are doing is an even bigger crime against humanity!
Greig

Clearly you're not a mindless acolyte swallowing the dead rats. Good for you!

Do you remember all those National Party and ACT pushers busily posting here during the last election? Where are they now? I guess they must be too busy to post. Rat swallowing has become so time consuming lately! Trouble with all the rat gobbling is that it leads to dementia and amnesia. Yes, indeed! What's the bet that in a few short years the rat gobblers will be back pushing their messiahs again? Nothing changes with the mindless. In the end they'll be eating each other. Cannibals.

Yep there sure is. Rodney has done nothing wrong. Absolutely Nothing. And yet, yeah, the LIbz and the so-called hard right are calling for his head. It's simply disgusting.

Let's get some sense of proportion. In Australia, most of the senior cabal of the labour party would be in prison for corruption, or at least awaiting trial. Ditto in Hong Kong. In Singapore, well a couple of them would already have been put up against a wall and shot.

NZ has just - somehow - got rid of a government whose open, blatant corruption puts anything Aussie has seen in the shade. And what are we doing? Discussion Rodney's airfares.
Sinner

How's your rat swallowing going? You better get used to it 'cause you're going to be gobbling plenty more of them.

LGM
Sinner we got rid of a Government of "open, blatant corruption" and replaced it with a Government of "secret" blatant corruption.

Bringing the National Socialist ACT governments' evil out into the daylight is very important.

What Rodney has done to his Lady Wife he is also doing to his supporters...
Elijha, you said that we got rid of a Government. Who's WE, white man?

In fact, you (Libz) are not included in the WE, because it was us National supporters who voted Labour out and not Libz. You should have in fact, addressed it something like , they (Nat supporters) got rid of a Government.
@Nat Supporter: Are you sure that anyone got rid that government? It looks exactly the same to me.
Nat Supporter

Guess you must be enjoying the taste of rat.

LGM
Architect Bart Prince, courtesy of YouTube
The Life of Brian: They’re all bashing the Bishop again [update 2]
Pffft my cult is going to be better.

Because its gonna have a tonne of hot bitches... not 700 sons...

amatuers... all of them.
Do I have to blow myself up before I can enjoy them?
My cult will be full of cute, male libertarians (that sort of thing - freedom, is not for the fillies)...

Mind you, the task of finding 700 cute libertarians in NZ may be more difficult than it sounds.
Excellent piece PC. And Scientology, like Tamaki's outfit, is a profitable take on traditional witch-doctory, invented by another strange contradictory character.
"Now, you’d think when it comes to settling the few differences between all the different brands of witch-doctory the different advocates would be able to reason it out between them."

Just like the adherants of various political ideologies do, you mean?
Praise be to Grog err no Dog!! Grog? The wholee spirit. The real stuff.
That is simply not true. Most churches in NZ are very genuine in their belifs, and have no intent to defraud anyone, also these days there tend to be minimal "turf war" or interdenominational issues.

Brian Tamaki is probably genuine too. While you may think that all religous leaders equally wrong as brain, few appear to be quite so up themselves, and self important. Most tend to be more interested in the message rather than glorifying themselves like Brain appears to. Now I might have got it wrong, but that assessment is based on what appears from what I have seen of him. Brain Tamaki is the worst advertisement for Christianity out.
Oh I am sure the fraud Benny Hinn, the hypocrite Graham Capill and the thousands of Catholic (and other) priests who have raped, beaten and scarred children for life can give Tamaki a run for his money.
"Tamaki is the worst advertisement for Christianity out."

Worse than the Spanish Inquisition and Pope Pius XII???

He must be pretty bad then.
Density Church's website is back up again:

http://DensityChurch.net/

Yours in the Spaghetti Monster, Senior Bishop Brian Tamariki
In the 80's Lou Reed had a bad motorcycle accident.Almost died. Years later he was being interviewed and the interviewer said they had heard he was "born again" after the accident.Lou replied that he was misquoted and he had actually said "he was into porn again"!Capt Crab
I say to Bishop Tamaki.

Thou shall not steal from your followers, by misrepresenting the Almighty's Gospels.
Great post Voltaire!
KG, you say, "Just like the adherants of various political ideologies [would be able to reason it out between them]?"

KG, the various political ideologies have at least the ambition of being founded on reason, rather than faith.

But every single religion is the opposite.
Why is this woman so happy? [updated]
It's about time that commies like Bradford, should vacate politics and do something useful with their time, such as running a business to employ & pay above market rates to those underpaid unionists that they claim to represent.
She claims that the 'anti-smacking' bill was the highlight of her career in politics - rejected by 87.4% of the NZ electorate. It's nice to know that you are so cherished, Sue.
Yes, and she's not alone. The fact that her "achievements" are lauded by the MSM as "caring" indicates a frightening degree of compliance with her aims.

And WTF has happened to Rodney Hide ?

Rodney famously declared global warming a hoax, (to thwart the ambitions of Winston Peters ?) but hasn't spoken about it since. He had a private members bill that could have curbed the bureaucracy, but it's died, and he has the support of Sir FlatTax in parliament. But what has been achieved ?
It was always my concern that Bradford would take her snout out of one bureaucratic trough and place it in another. It seemed the most likely scenario.

Russell, communists don't work in private industry, it is against the whole philosophy.

The state controlling *everything* and all.

I doubt that any business owner would be willing to hire her either, and if they were so stupid to do so...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX-Aldx-LM0 This reminds me of this little gem.
NOT PJ: Dollars and Sense
I agree. A devalued dollar leaves us all poorer and if the farmers benefit in the short-term, it's only robbing Peter to pay Paul. Eventually even farmers have to purchase imports like tractors and drench.

I'm not convinced a return to the gold standard is necessary - all governments need to do is to also stop spending money that is not backed by productive activity. Money is simply a representation of the productive activity that generated it - and if you increase the money supply with no increase in productivity, the obvious happens - as in Zimbabwe. It's the one thing almost all economists agree on.
The gold standard is a half-way house. If the government's going to run the money supply, I'd prefer it was something that they couldn't meddle with so easily.

Even better would be for the government to bugger off into the monetary policy sunset - a free market in money is the real answer. Gold may or may not spontaneously remonetise in that case.
Worth noting the Zimbabwean dollar is no longer used, except that it is now a collectable on Ebay worth far more than its face value ever was - because some people like giving the gift of a trillion dollar bill
Vis a vis gold standard, I agree with Bernard, the most important thing is to take control of the money supply away from the politicians, alongside, of course, dumping the Reserve Bank, because, for example, our artificially low interest rates are now simply threatening to start the next asset bubbles, to wipe our the next store of savings. Such expansion of cheap credit is an increase in the money supply, and was the root cause of the Credit Crunch.

It doesn't have to be a gold standard, it could be a basket of commodities.

Although, my latest reading would have me heading toward 'free banking' which revised histories are showing worked pretty well in the US over the nineteenth century.
Mark: It could be argued that our asset bubbles in the housing and farming markets are not due to low interest rates but of high interest rates as compared to those in Japan and the US, that is where a lot of the credit comes from to fuel the bubbles in New Zealand.
Christopher Columbus, by Carl von Piloty
I have read the interpretation of the painting "Columbus" by von Piloty and am wondering where it comes from. I have just been to Alte Pinakothek in Munich and have to say that was particularly impressed by this picture. However - when looking at it from a close distance I had a totally different impression.

I believe that the picture shows Columbus during the last days, hours, minutes or maybe even seconds BEFORE he discovered America. There are several elements that seem to welcome such an interpretation: everybody apart from Columbus seems to be asleep on the ship (they would surely be waking up if there was a cry that a land has been spotted), but even more compelling is Columbus's face which cannot be clearly seen in this reproduction. He seems to be terrified, anxious, with eyes widely open and I think I have spotted drops of sweat on his forehead.

It seemed to me to be clearly a depiction of a man who had much trust put in him, much pressure to lead other people while he himself starts losing faith in his dreams and knows that he might be leading them to their doom. The doubts which many of us are often very familiar with. And wouldn't it make the theme of the picture even more compelling?
Hi qragraq, I was relying on the interpretation of historian Scott Powell, at the link provided in the post above.

I took the men asleep to be a metaphor for Columbus being completely alone in his decision to press on--and the identification of journey's end made by Columbus himself. Dramatically correct, if not nautically. ;^)

I haven't had the benefit of studying the original canvas, however. I'm sure Scott would love to hear your assessment--you should make your commment there too.
Stupid is as Alan does
I think the reason he made that stupid commentary is because he doesn't read your blog. He reads other nonsense stuff which doesn't educate him enough about economics.
Most read by whom?

Hickey is regarded as a joke by serious investors and bankers alike. He is something akin to Bruce Sheppard. I suspect only his commenters take him seriously.

I don't know why you let these 'economic commentators' upset you PC. They're rubbish.
Communist Russia was a production-driven economy.
Yeah, the USSR was so production driven that it went from exporting grain to importing grain. Get a clue Monsieur.
@ Sean: I wasn't saying the plan worked
And I wouldn't call wishing in the face of economic realities a "plan". You have blandly asserted that it was a production based economy. Please detail in what sense, the USSR was a production economy?"Please detail in what sense, the USSR was a production economy?"In the sense that it wasn't at all consumer-driven. Why has China's current boost in production been successful? What was driving it? Deng Xiaoping or the US consumer.
Sure the USSR wasn't consumer driven. But that doesn't make it production driven. It could still be consumption driven (ie consider the massive speding on Arms). Please specify exactly what made it, in your view, an economy based on production.
The USSR used to make stuff. The trouble is that it had no mechanism to figure out what people wanted.
The USSR used to make stuff. True. But it made much unproductive consumption items such as Arms and government white elephants. Not to mention all the active destruction of the productive base. Killing their people, confiscating property, slave labour etc. The lack of price signals is bad news for finding out consumer desires, but it is equally bad news for the productive prosess. How can producers form meaningful supply networks with each other without the use of price signals? I don't see how anyone could claim that amounts to a productive-driven economy. It is an economy built on death and destruction and that is exactly what it achieved.
Bad English
Yes, but honestly who is surprised? The man who almost single handedly ensured National has its worst EVER election result in 2002, performing so unconvincingly, when Labour had mountains of mistakes to milk, that more than a few Nat supporters preferred Peter Dunne.
"This user has elected to delete their account and the content is no longer available."

That's what came up when I clicked Cactus Kate.

But, yeah she sounds good. Don't read her at all (yet?).
Because the link is to Gotcha.
Oops. Posted the link from her short-lived 'marriage' to Whale. Fixed now: it points to her bachelorette pad.
Come on PC. Stop shooting fish in a barrel. We all know English is an idiot. But he is a side show to the glorious main event. John Key. That man is the walking embodiment of Jesus Christ. Clearly a fact you are trying to evade by concentrating on English. Imagine if he wasn't in charge, we could be running deficiets in excess of the poultry 250 000 000 a week.
We are losing 250 million chickens a week? Gadzooks, man! It will be hoomans next, or, Galt help us, money. Last one turn the lights off.
SebastianI think you will find the word is paltry, instead of poultry.

Ha ha Shane, I typed this out, then scrolled down to read your answer!
I wouldn't normally be such a grammatical pedant - but the title of the blogpost is.....
To be fair Shane, it wasn't a grammar issue, but a spelling one. Grammatically it is impossible to draw the meaning you did from that sentence. If your going to be a pedant, at least be accurate.
ShaneRe title of post, my thoughts exactly. Kind of fitting with title.

I hope that my correction did not come across as arrogant, it was not meant to be, just a gentle correction...

SeanIf *you're* going to be a pedant, please look at your/you're.

On that note, I am not one to talk, my spelling and or grammar is not perfect either, but I do wish it to be, and do like a gentle correction myself.
ShaneRe title of post, my thoughts exactly. Kind of fitting with title.

I hope that my correction did not come across as arrogant, it was not meant to be, just a gentle correction...

SeanIf *you're* going to be a pedant, please look at your/you're.

On that note, I am not one to talk, my spelling and or grammar is not perfect either, but I do wish it to be, and do like a gentle correction myself.
El,

I'm sorry that you can not spot irony, even when delivered with all the subtly of a speeding truck.

Oh, and maybe delete that double post, there is a good chap.
SeanWhatever.

Having not met you, it is kind of hard to tell if you are being 'ironic' in written form. I don't profess to be a mind-reader.
If you did profess to be a mind-reader I would think you a fool.

Happily that is not the case.
More things I don’t care aboutNational’s “hidden agenda.” It doesn’t exist.

Unfortunately.

She backs entirely the wrong party, but Cactus Kates blog of today is first rate regarding our Minister of Finance:

http://asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com/2009/10/english-on-ropes.html#links
Mark, there was a blog post here at Not PC last year about an allegation that Bill English has been a Labour mole inside the National Party for years. So, I think his cover as a mole is all crumbling around him.
Something to not care about:- What the Labour Party thinks (exchange Labour for National, Green, ACT, Maori, etc)
There was no new evidence presented this past week regarding Climate Change. I thought that your comments were about events happening in the media.

Seems you have confused an opinion poll in the US with real news like most Climate Change deniers.
Add Barry to the second list?
I know you don't care about Michael Jackson as a great entertainer, which you should add to your first list.

BUT! You're missing the best entertainment movie ever known to mankind and here is a short movie-clip of the man himself:

It won't be too long into the future that technology will catchup so that robots will replicate exactly the way humans, especially Michael Jackson's dance moves. I'll go and watch a concert where the performers are robots if they can learn how to dance like MJ. It would be awesome.
There is no doubt that the Sony's dancing robots have been embedded with inductive learning algorithms. There are various inductive learning algorithms available today, so I don't know which ones are being embedded in Sony's robot's. The robots are very good at learning by induction. I came across the same dancing robots, from the following research which uses an inductive learning algorithm called ANN (artificial neural network), in which ANN models human neuron functionalities. There is no pre-programmed at all involved. The paper briefly describes of how ANN guides the robot in its dancing.

Abstract:=========We propose a technique to make a robot execute free and solitary dance movements on music, in a manner which simulates the dynamic alternations between synchronisation and autonomy typically observed in human behaviour. In contrast with previous approaches, we preprogram neither the dance patterns nor their alternation, but rather build in basic dynamics in the robot, and let the behaviour emerge in a seemingly autonomous manner. The robot motor commands are generated in real-time by converting the output of a neural network processing a sequence of pulses corresponding to the beats of the music being danced to. The spiking behaviour of individual neurons is controlled by a biologically-inspired model (FitzHugh-Nagumo). Under appropriate parameters, the network generates chaotic itinerant behaviour among low-dimensional local attractors. A robot controlled this way exhibits a variety of motion styles, some being periodic and strongly coupled to the musical rhythm and others being more independent, as well as spontaneous jumps from one style of motion to the next. The resulting behaviour is completely deterministic (as the solution of a non-linear dynamical system), adaptive to the music being played, and believed to be an interesting compromise between synchronisation and autonomy.

Why would we dislike certain humans (eg - Michael Jackson), but I guess that we would prefer machines to be used as substitutes instead?

I also like electronic synthesized robot music (ie, machine generated music), but I prefer real human made music. I bet that most readers here, would prefer to listen to MJ's Thriller than a robot music.
@ FF: Re Dancing Sony Robots.White robots can't dance very well.
I am sure that Sony will paint them black and when they do, those black robots will be awesome dancers.
Well, this is a bit off topic, I care enough about it to mention it, but don't care for the TV ad at all, if you get my drift...

That freaking Tower insurance ad, where the husband is biking to or from work (who cares about the finer details), stopping to tell his mate that he is trying to save money, petrol etc, then the wife pulls into the driveway in one of those suburban tractors and pulls out a lot of 'shopping'. It paints men as chumps, and women as bitches. A lot of PC crap if you ask me! Gimme a break!

El (a female who is not a bitch, and would not put up with such a chump as a hubby - his arse would be kicked from here until next Wednesday if he acted so (oops, perhaps I *am* a bitch!)
Men are always portrayed as chumps on TV ads - it's PC to do so. Look at the Westpac ads for example. A succession of chumps either being green or being harangued by shrews.
TWRYes, I have noticed that about many ads and television shows too. It really irks me (and that is putting it nicely). Another thing is all these detective/cop shows where it is the female giving the orders. I don't watch much tv these days, it is all rubbish. Between that, and the brain dead reality shows...Men are always portrayed as chumps on TV ads

I think you're being over sensitive. There are plenty of ads where men aren't chumps. There are also plenty of ads where women are. It's this oversensitivity to led to political correctness in the first place.

I'm sorry to say this, but harden up!
GoofeyI don't think I am being oversensitive at all, perhaps you are being under-attentive to it all?

BTW, I am pretty thick skinned for a sheila/anti-feminist. I am certainly not PC either."There are also plenty of ads where women are."

List three.
Not to do goofy's job for her, but the old australian ads for margarine always used to make me smile, all those burly husbands and smiling children singing "you ought to be congradulated" as the wife puts the dinner on the table.
"Old" being the operative word, CF. A crap ad for a crap product, wasn't it!

I'm with El & TW. The chaps aren't just plonkers as a rule; they're -- newsflash! -- usually caucasian to boot! ;)
There is one thing you really, genuinely DON'T care about:

LGM
Sus, yes it was an old ad, don't see anything like it now! The ad confused me, showing Aussie women as somewhat subserviant and traditional. All the Aussie sheilas I've every met are more blokey than the blokes, you wouldn't cross them.
RodBeater
PC, if Redbaiter doesn't declare that he wants to own that Redbaiter'sbile site. Then it is mine.

From now on, I will be going under the name Russell Fletcher (used to be Kurt) and please don't delete my message. See if Mr. Rodbaiter likes what I do.
When he says 'liberqueerians' I am sure he means you, Peter :P
Russell (Kurt), nice work on the Redbaiter's bile site! It's almost like the real thing.
Kurt

Why?

LGM
LGM, my reason is because Russell Fletcher has been hiding behind an online nom de plume in order to dish out his venom & abuse at others. In me being using the name, then Google will index the name Russell Fletcher and available online forever. Now the name is being searchable online. He calls others who don't use nom de plumes such as Peter cowards, but he should look in the mirror.
"but he should look in the mirror"

Out of all his unpleasant personality traits, hypocrisy is probably the most prominent and pervasive.
It's funny that Redbaiter is not very abusive (directly) towards David Farrar at Kiwiblog, but he abuses everyone on the net. If one compares Farrar to Cresswell they're far apart by miles in the way they view & promote freedom on their respective blogs, however Redbaiter chooses to abuse Peter more often but not Farrar.

As with Farrar's tendency to lick the asses of the National Party (members) for whatever policies they come up with, you thought Redbaiter would have abused Farrar for that but not at all. Does anyone know why?This comment has been removed by the author.
Yeah, in fact, he often refers to him as "Mr Farrar" and goes on tirades telling people to "apologise to Mr Farrar". My guess is that if Farrar bans him, Redbaiter's primary outlet will be closed.
There is no 'hate' on this blog that I can see; I challenge anybody to find a 'hate' post I have ever made - many of my posts are actually quite jokesy.

I think Redbaiter confuses 'hate' with people pointing out inconsistencies or hypocrisy and he seems not 'big' enough to debate issues intellectually preferring to blanketly describe anyone disagreeing with him as being 'hate[ful]'; this attitude is common amongst the ignorant.

For my part I find redbaiter rather amusing, as I have often said, and somewhat disagreed with his banning as I am not keen on banning free speech for anybody.
PC, have you revert to permanent comment moderation? I don't blame you, but muthafucking Redbaiter asshole has caused all this. Redbaiter, you were the caused of all this, which is inconvenient to readers.

I encourage readers here to use my internet name Russell Fletcher (including my blog link) in their internet blog commentaries, ie, we're all Russells.
‘Corner of Chester and Green’ – William Wray
LIBERTARIANZ SUS: Just your regular long weekend of property crimes and un-policing
I am in Argentina at the moment and yesterday I took a Saturday afteroon stroll through the streets of Corrientes.... it was a lovely quiet day with people ambling up and down the pedestrian precinct and in and out of the main square, sipping mate and chatting away.

On almost every third street corner there was at least one cop. They all wear guns on their belts (even the lipsticky girly ones!!) and although they are quite friendly (I chatted with one about the relative approaches to law and order in our respective countries) they still watch you as you go past... not aggressively, but interestedly. One gets the feeling that the cops are actually being vigilant and taking their jobs seriously.

The cops don't just stand there, of course, they patrol. On foot. Looking around. And also there are squad cars noticeable all the time. Does anybody in NZ remember what patrolling is all about? Yep.... thats it... walking around looking and taking notice of stuff. Geez, thats a novel approach isn't it!

Robberies, property damage, graffiti, muggings, theft and P are not, as far as I can see, a problem in Argentina. I wonder why not? Could there be a connection here?

Cheers - Dave Mann
I'll add another horror to the pot. This one could have ended in serious injury or worse.

I was walking home from town a couple of years back, rather inebriated (cue a finger wagging from Lord Sir Fuckface Palmer) and took a shortcut through a fairly insalubrious part of town. It's a 5km walk from town to my home, so shortcuts are welcome, even dodgy ones. Anyway, shouting and screaming eventually assaulted my ears, and I became aware that this was a fairly intense domestic situation between a very angry man and a terrified woman. I identified the house, but in my uncoordinated state I figured it best to call the police rather than attempt to intervene myself. This resolve doubled after hearing the sound of what sounded like furniture being demolished inside and seeing a very large man through the window doing the shouting.

I phoned our friends in blue. I got through to someone fairly quickly and reported the incident. They asked for the address, and when I provided it, they seemed to lose all interest. "Oh, that part of town, no point bothering" was the implication, if not the direct statement. Instead, the person on the end of the phone asked if I was sure there was a problem (well, erm, yes), and if I knew how long it had been going on for (no, I just got there), and if I'd mind waiting there, since they weren't sure when a car would be able to attend. What the hell was I supposed to do? Anyway, I duly waited, after about ten minutes the sobbing died down inside and lights went out. Who the hell knows what he'd done to her? I felt cowardly for not going in myself, but we have POLICE for this, damnit. I waited another 30 minutes in the cold night air at 2am. Still no sign of the boys in blue. I realised nothing further was likely to happen and left. I phoned back to tell them I was leaving, but got no answer. Not even diverted to another station.

Meanwhile, there were a bunch of arrests for cannabis possession that weekend, and a fair number of speeding tickets issued. I'm really glad the priorities are right. Nice work! I’ve always loved Labour Weekend in particular,

Sorry but that makes you a lefty!! I've always hated it! When is Employer's Day where workers work for free to show their gratitude?

The real problem is simple lack of police numbers.You need about 1 cop per 100 people to police this kind of crime effectively. That would mean 40,000 cops for NZ's population. We have only 20% of that.

Then, in the 60's it changed from the police Force to the police Service. That's where the rot really set in.

I struggle with the concept of tax at the best of times, but surely some decent policing is not too much to expect

Why do you think policing should be any different from health or welfare or ACC or anything else provided by the state monopoly in return for a compulsory tax? There is no reason of course!

I've a friend in LA, a couple of kids tried something similar to their law - and were shot on sight by the private security armed response. The statistics are clear: a fully private armed response is the only effective measure to reducing property crime. I don't understand why the Libz don't admit to this like everything else.
We intend to implement a local sheriff initiative here in Invercargill - the main purpose of which is to be a patrolling presence with the resources to actually prevent crime - and to deal with it decisively.

The towns luminaries (excluding the Mayor) seem to insist we continue our decay into anarchy and 'ever increasing police powers and resources'.
Sounds interesting, Shane. Will you be outlining progress and/or planned methods & strategies on your blog?
Well, that all makes for attractive reading.

Sometimes there's just no point, is there.Well, that all makes for attractive reading.

Sometimes there's just no point, is there.

Just goes to show that socialist / Labour Party police can't solve every crime or social problem. But I'm sure I can arrange a private moderation service - and an armed response if necessary - to keep your blog just how you like it.
Redbaiter,

I've been very supportive of you in the past against LGM & Elijah, but now I think that you're really an arsehole and a troll.

Why don't you just leave PC's blog and don't spoil the online dialog amongst commentators here, with your frequent intrusion. If you keep doing this, then I think PC will start moderating the blog 24hrs/7days, which is not fun for regular readers/posters like myself.

Can you leave us alone please? Otherwise, establish your own blog, which is free to set up. Why can't you do that?
Kurt, please do not drag me into this...
Sus, yes, will keep you informed of progress should you wish.

Perhaps our 'troll' should rename himself "Goldbaiter", as he seems to directed energy towards us?
when you make the call tell the police that you saw a gun...
"when you make the call tell the police that you saw a gun..."

I said "knife" before. Just don't say "bomb"...
‘Sacred Scriptures of the Human Race’ [updated]This comment has been removed by the author.
@Redbaiter

A dedication to reason. You use the word "obsession" to give PC's efforts negative conotations.

If one believes something to be true, has evidence to support it and the good nature to tell others about what he knows, then that's a good thing.
Ingersoll needs to read Psalm 22 and actually understand Sacred Scriptures. Like so many others, he argues with what he thinks scripture is saying, as opposed to what it actually says.
Psalm 22, you say? We need to read what it actually says?

"O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. "

Pardon my whinging, O Great One. But if you've got a moment . . .

"But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."

With good cause, by the looks of things.

"Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. Many calves have surrounded me.They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."

Go the calves, I say.

"Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns."

And there are people who say the Psalms read like poetry. Sheesh.

But your point is?

"I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. "

So what's to understand? Bloke's in the pooh; instead of getting himself out of it he whimpers about being a worm, and calls on help from on high -- from a God who, if he existed, was responsible for putting him there, probably so He could enjoy the spectacle.

Makes perfect sense.

And in any case, even by the evidence of his own book, He's not a God that actually likes rushing to the rescue, is he. More the sort of God who (according to His Book) likes playing with folk the same way a cat likes playing with a mouse. Just ask Isaiah:"And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear. . . Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself. "

Or Ezekiel:"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. "

Or Habakkuk:"O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! "

Or Hosea:"They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them. "

George
Fisk this then, from 'Die Walkure.' When Brunnhilde comes to take Siegmund in the name of Wotan, her father, Siegmund responds as any red-blooded man should to being "called by the Gods" to their side:

SIEGMUND (the Walsung, replying to Brunnhilde):If death be his, whither tak'st thou the hero?

BRUNNHILDE (the God's daughter):To Wotan, for such is his will; Hence with me awaits Valhalla for thee. The fallen heroes' hallowed band shall greet thee there . . . His father there will the Wälsung find. . . Wishmaidens wait on thee there: Wotan's daughter faithfully there fills thy cup.

BRUNNHILDE:Lone on earth must she still linger: Siegmund will see Sieglinde no more.

SIEGMUND (bending softly over his bride Sieglinde, kisses her gently on the brow, and turns tranquilly to Brunnhilde):Then greet for me Walhall, greet for me Wotan, Greet for me the Wolsung and all the heroes; Greet too the beauteous wish-maidens.To them I'll follow thee not.

That's the response of any red-blooded man to the Gods -- to each and every one of their corrupt, fictional, man-made, entreaties: "Away with your gods, and your bloodless love. I'll settle for the real thing right here on this earth!"
I've enjoyed your blog until recently but I generally avoid blogs which decide to preach about religion, one way or another.

Religion is a matter of an individual's basic postulates. And as such are not a matter of discussion and debate between the truly rational, but is big a big deal with the rationalizing.

Which is why you see so little of it in Rand's books. I hope you continue to work for freedom, but I've taken you off my blog role as you seem stuck on this issue.

Best regards.
@K

The essence of what you're saying is that there is a domain of thought - "religion", "spirituality" or whatever you wish to call it - that ought be placed outside reason.

You're saying that there are some thoughts that ought not be subject to critical evaluation.

Why do you find critical analysis of most ideas desirable, but analysis of another set of ideas undesirable?
PC, if the response to this post is lukewarm it's because Ingersoll's work amounts to a misinformed "Gish gallop" of innuendo and half truth that does not address the substance and character of Christianity. It's just a polemic to reinforce the prejudiced notions of atheists. His errors are so numerous that a point by point rebuttal is not feasible. However here is a brief response to Ingersoll's tactics.Religion is a matter of an individual's basic postulates. And as such are not a matter of discussion and debate between the truly rational.

ALL religions should be given the respect they deserve - which is none.

And make no mistake - Christians would still be on the rampage today just like militant Islamists if they had not been marginalised by the political process in the West.
PC, The circumstances and ultimate purpose of Jesus death were prophesied ~1000 years beforehand in Psalm 22, written by King David. Jesus quoted the Psalm as he was crucified, as this was the moment of its prophetic fulfilment.

I'm not sure what your method of bible interpretation is, but the argument from incredulity and ignorance probably isn't likely to work in an academic setting, where scholars make use of novel approaches like cultural context, history and sensible exegesis.

Ruth, When someone says "make no mistake" you can be certain their next pronouncement will be a hysterical misrepresentation of the facts.

I was hoping that people here might be sincere skeptics, but unfortunately all I can see is ranting atheists.
Ropata when christians - and catholics in particular - admit that for Jews and Muslims the crusades were genocide, mass murder, and mass extermination of innocent people then you may have a rational conversation.

Have some respect for the victims of the "first holocaust" before you and your ideological allies start blowing off about the evils of Islam and so on.

How DARE you take the moral high ground.
Ruth, Now it's an argument from outrage and another tangential rant. By your debating standards then, all atheists must provide a defense for the mass murders of the 20th century.

Jesus' teaching on how to treat enemies:

* Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you (Matthew 5:44).* Resist not evil (Matthew 5:39).* If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them the other (Matthew 5:39).* If someone takes your coat, give them your shirt (Matthew 5:40).* If someone make you carry something one mile, carry it two (Matthew 5:41).* Forgive and you shall be forgiven (Matthew 6:14).* Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1).* Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).* Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).* Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not kill, but I say who ever is angry with his brother is in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21-22).* Treat others the same way you want them to treat you (Luke 6:27-36).* Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, whatever you do to the very least you have done unto me (Matthew 25:40).

Muhammad's teaching on how to treat enemies:

* Infidels are your sworn enemies (Sura 4:101).* Be ruthless to the infidels (Sura 48:29).* Make war on the infidels who dwell around you (Sura 9:123, 66:9).* Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day (Sura 9:29).* Strike off the heads of infidels in battle (Sura 47:4).* If someone stops believing in Allah, kill him (al-Bukhari 9:84:57).* Take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends (Sura 5:51, 60:13).* Never be a helper to the disbelievers (Sura 28:86).* Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them (Sura 2:191).* No Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel (al-Bukhari 1:3:111).* The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land (Sura 5:33).

I think a quick look at the text will show Islam teaches violence and Christianity doesn't. Muslims attacking non Muslims is just Muslims following the teachings of the Qu'ran, while Christians attacking Christians and nonbelievers is in violation of Christianity.

Human nature is violent. I am sure that many Muslims killed people without giving a flip on way or another what the Qu'ran said as I am equally sure many Christians killed people without giving a tinkers damn to what the New Testament taught. However the issue remains that the New Testament condemns violence and the Qu'ran encourages it.

While the Crusades went too far in killing innocent Muslims it should be noted if Muslims had not been, pardon the phrase, Jihading all over the place this wouldn't have happened.
Ropata: Oh how damned shallow can Christians like yourself be to continually wheel out the straw man of "atheists are responsible for the Nazis and the communists" bullshit.

Rubbish. Anymore than vegetarians are responsible for Hitler because, funnily enough, he was one.

The absence of a belief in a supernatural entity does not mean the embrace of totalitarianism. Atheism is NOT a comprehensive philosophy, it is just the repudiation of one source for philosophy - the supernatural (or rather the human interpretations of the supernatural).

The Bible is brimming with violence, noticing you've very selectively chosen 2 books from it, you could go through the Old Testament and find rivers of blood, involving vast numbers of innocents, including children. The bloody violent history of Christianity was cauterised by the Enlightenment and secularism.

Worth noting your Bible quotes drip of sacrifice and surrender, which of course is JUST as immoral against violent evil as is endorsing it.

The common theme among Christians and Muslims is the attention and focus given to death and what happens after death. Sacrifice all in this life for death, since most Christians have given up forcing others, they let themselves surrender life for death, it's a shame that quite a few Muslims are still willing to murder en masse for essentially the same purpose.

The Bible is a selected group of texts of diverse origins (which excludes others written at the same time) which hangs together rather loosely. You can pull from the Bible what you wish, as indeed you can from the Koran - which is why fundamentalists of both religions cry forth why other believers ignore what THEY rely upon to seek to do violence to the rest of us.
God help us when the self-styled "rationalists" become useful idiots for Islamization, and discard our Christian heritage in a fit of pique. It's called the Good News for a reason.

To continually impute the worst motives to the other side of a debate is offensive and unreasonable. It's no way to advance an argument, and reveals an ugly seam of ill will and prejudice. Reactionary hatred and condemnation of religion is an untenable and extremely arrogant dismissal of most of the human race.

That is all, I have clearly wasted my time here.ALL religions should be given the respect they deserve - which is none.

I disagee with this. Religious traditions contain good knowledge as well as bad and some traditions contain better knowledge than others. It is a mistake to accord traditions with good knowledge no respect. For example, the tradition of Judaism was responsible for the idea of ethical monotheism, the idea that there is objective morality, an excellent idea that has stood that tradition and the Western world in good stead. I salute Judaism for this.

And make no mistake - Christians would still be on the rampage today just like militant Islamists if they had not been marginalised by the political process in the West.

Christian reform began when the bible was subjected to critical scrutiny and people actually started pointing out and debating what was written in the book rather than relying on a privileged priesthood. If you look at the positive things in the New Testament I think it comes out a lot better than the Koran, as ropata pointed out. Saying they are as bad as each other or that you can pull from each what you wish is relativism in my opinion and, like all relativism, dangerous.
Religions deserves respect as much as this-worldly philosophies do. That then becomes a matter of being selective. Christianity brought with it ethics that are rational, but not because it came from Christianity - it was fundamentally rational in the first place.

Some of the 10 commandments make good rational sense, but it has nothing to do with belief in a supernatural being. Our numbers come from India and Arabia as well, something that critics of both Hinduism and Islam might think about.

However, if the measure of philosophy is what does it contribute today, we know that reason and science do NOT owe themselves to Christianity, but to a battle to ringfence it. The Bible offers next to nothing useful to describe the world, and offers a basis for a whole spectrum of morality that ranges from the rational to the outright evil.

Islamists cannot be fought by argument based on religion - quite simply it is saying your version of a god is different from theirs and you both hold the view based on faith.

Far better to say life is the standard of value, and to uphold life human beings have rights to personal sovereignty, and to interact voluntarily. Within that realm you can have faith in whatsoever you wish, but do not let such faith infringe upon the rights of others to do otherwise, and live their lives peacefully as they see fit.

If all Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, agnostics and atheists did that, the world would be transformed out of all recognition, for the better.
"Far better to say life is the standard of value, and to uphold life human beings have rights to personal sovereignty, and to interact voluntarily. Within that realm you can have faith in whatsoever you wish, but do not let such faith infringe upon the rights of others to do otherwise, and live their lives peacefully as they see fit."

That works for me, too.

The Christians & Jews of my acquaintance are very much of the pick & choose mould, and would never seek to impose their personal beliefs upon another, which suits me fine. I don't hold with the tunnel-vision of fundamentalism from any quarter.

Ruth, surely only a diehard bible-thumper would try to deny the horror and barbarism of the crusades and subsequent atrocities committed by Christians. But in the 21st century, there is only one of the world's big three that openly, brazenly and even gleefully behead, stone and murder non-believers for the crime of being non-believers.

Some context is required.
Sus, it is worth noting that there are a few pockets of people using Catholicism (Croatia/Bosnia), Orthodox Christianity (Serbia/Bosnia), Hinduism and Buddhism (Sri Lanka) to justify spilling much blood in the name of god. Sectarianism which uses religion as a convenient totem (i.e. Ireland) remains a deadly disease.
LS: I would suggest that the monsters you mention are motivated *politically*, using their religions as a convenient tool to get their followers going. In other words, their religious beliefs -- if they even have them -- take a distant second place to their political aims.

I'm not sure the distinction is as clear-cut with the Islamists.

However, I certainly take your point. A monster is a monster."ALL religions should be given the respect they deserve - which is none."

First time I think I've agreed with Ruth on anything.
I know what you mean gregster. She's been making more and more sense lately. It's rather disconcerting. Still, credit where credit is due and all that."the tradition of Judaism was responsible for the idea of ethical monotheism,"

Incorrect. I believe Akhanaten an Egyptian disbanded polytheism for monotheism.
gregster - Can you tell me more about Akhanaten?